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Common Social Media Missteps & How to Avoid Them!

So you’re active on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, but you still aren’t seeing the return or response you thought you would. Chances are you’re not using these platforms to their fullest potential. There are several common mistakes those new to multi-platform social media network will make. Here are a few and our best tips on how to avoid them!

Posting the Same Message on Every Platform.

We understand that you don’t have all day to think up a different post for each of your social media accounts. It only makes sense that you would save time and energy by posting the same thing to each platform. However, when a follower sees, “I just posted a photo to Facebook!” on a law firm’s Twitter account, rings out as Spam to most followers.What We Recommend:

Take the time to understand what makes each social media channel different and what works best for them. Something as simple as the length of your message is a good place to start.

Even with Twitter’s 140-character limit, engagement falls dramatically on posts over 100 characters. Facebook and Google+ posts need to be even shorter — no more than 40 and 60 characters, respectively!

You’re Not Measuring the Effectiveness of Social Media.

Law firms go to painstaking lengths to measure the ROI on television commercials and Yellow Pages ads, but when it comes to social media marketing, we’ve usually seen attorneys shrug the returns off like an afterthought. Social media advertising is still advertising — and should be treated as such!What We Recommend:

Keeping track of metrics such as number of followers, shares, retweets and favorites is a great place to start. More importantly, you should ensure your social media goals are connected to your business goals. (This comes back being clear about your digital advertising goals, like we discussed on page 3) For example, if you want to increase website traffic by a certain percentage, you can routinely measure how much traffic comes directly fcom your social media accounts. Google Analytics is your friend!

You’re Using Social Media as a One-Way Street.

Social media is not a tool for pumping out one-way messages about your law firm. Bombarding your account solely with press releases and company information is a sure-fire way to lose followers fast. It’s not about shameless self-promotion, it’s a conversation.

What We Recommend:

Don’t just post what is new with your practice — join the conversation! Comment on the latest news that affects your firm and your client. Engage with other and be sure to reply when other engage with you. Start a dialogue about a trending or emerging issue and ask for the opinion of others.

Prospective clients aren’t looking for an endless stream of legal information, they’re looking for a friendly voice of expertise. Someone eager to help!

You’re Don’t Too Much at Once.

Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest — Do you really need an account on every platform? If you have one (and you’re remember to differentiate your content for every post!), then you’re probably spreading yourself too thin and spending entirely too much time on social media. Pick your battles!What We Recommend:

Take time to reevaluate your social media accounts. Are you getting great engagement from all social media channels? Or a select few? The effectiveness of each platform is going to be different for every firm — depending on location, client demographic, practice focus and competition. Check out what social media channels your competitors and potential clients are using. Remember — quality content is key, not the quality of your accounts. Use your time wisely and develop an engaging presence on the platforms that work best for your firm!

Avoiding these four pitfalls ultimately comes down to forming a cohesive social media strategy, testing that strategy’s effectiveness and adapting accordingly. Run different ads and posts on each platform, with different contact numbers. Test the response to each number, then invest in the winning strategies for each platform. Social media effectiveness is simple enough.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about your firm’s social media efforts, contact Kirkpatrick Creative today!

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